Back-to-back champs: NIACC men win 2nd straight regional title

WATERLOO - It was fitting the song on the radio on the bus while pulling into the NIACC campus Friday night was Queen's "We Are The Champions."

The NIACC men's cross country team won its second straight NJCAA Region XI Division II title with 21 points Friday at the South Hills Golf Course. NIACC's Melvin Kipkemboi also won his second straight individual regional title in a school-record 24 minutes, 28 seconds.

Kipkemboi was voted the 2021 NJCAA Region XI Division II runner of the year. NIACC coach Curtis Vais, who is stepping down at the end of the year, was voted as the 2021 NJCAA Region XI Division II coach of the year.

No. 11 Hawkeye CC placed second with 35 points and DMACC was third with 87 points.

NIACC claimed the 2020 NJCAA Region XI Division II title in Fort Dodge with 19 points while Kipkemboi was the individual champion in 25:50.

NIACC also claimed back-to-back regional titles in 2011 and 2012.

On Friday, the Trojans placed five runners in the top seven of the Division II race and had seven runners in the top 13. Kipkemboi led the way with his first-place finish in 24:28, which shattered the school record by 21 seconds and his personal best by 22 seconds.

The old school mark of 24:49 was held by Wal Khat in 2016. Kipkemboi's old personal best was 24:50 at the Indian Hills Invitational on Oct. 15.

Kipkemboi earned first-team all-ICCAC honors by placing fourth overall in Friday's race that included NJCAA Region XI Division I squads.

Kipkemboi's individual regional title was the fourth in school history for the NIACC men. NIACC's Dan Mayer won the regional title in 2006 and Cody Manchester was the 2011 regional champion.

NIACC's Christian Rodriguez and Peyton Seiler both earned first-team all-region honors. Rodriguez placed third in a personal-best time of 27:17 and Seiler was fourth in a personal best time of 27:21.

The Trojans' Bryden Juelsgaard and Richard Marcoux both earned second-team all-region honors. Juelsgaard was sixth in a personal best time of 28:04 and Marcoux was seventh (28:19).

NIACC's Caleb Sledd was an honorable mention all-region performer with his 11th place finish in 28:36. Also for the Trojans on Friday, Pudens Kipkosgei was 13th (29:15) and Maxwell Deeter was 25th in a personal best time of 32:16.

NIACC will defend its NJCAA Division II national title at the national meet in Richmond, Va. on Nov. 13.